Hoopla
by Diane Clifford
Summary: A quiet afternoon in Bonnie's playroom leaves the toys wondering what to do with themselves. Luckily Jessie comes up with an idea.
1. Rainy Rainy, Bazooka Janey

**Based almost entirely on a children's show we had where I work. The information contained in this fictional story is purely my own work; I don't own any of the rights to that show.**

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Chapter 1 – Rainy Rainy, Bazooka Janie

It was late afternoon, and a rainy day up in the bedroom of the little dark haired girl the toys knew only as Bonnie. The aforementioned little girl was a little older now, and had been at elementary school for most of the day. Most of the toys, due to the bad weather outside, were lazing around, some of them dozing in the toy chest at the end of the bed.

One such toy had been Buzz, but now he was starting to awaken. He put his hand down and out to one side as he sat up amongst the crowd of toys nearby him, and stretched the other out as well above his head. Beside him, Woody laid, still soundly asleep.

Looking around, and giving a little yawn Buzz scrambled to his feet and pushed open the lid of the chest cautiously. Sensing no movement from any human in the room, he pushed the lid a little more and squeezed through the gap. He let go of the chest and allowed himself to drop lightly down to the floor.

Scouting the area, he flipped open his helmet and took a moment to inhale. He could smell the damp in the room and it made him shiver a little bit. Maybe a little bit of air in the room would get rid of the smell, he decided, as he started to make his way up to the window. It took him a few minutes to get there, but when he did, he was rewarded before he even laid a finger on the window sash to lift it upwards.

For there, sitting with her nose pressed to the glass, watching the rain, was Jessie.

"I should have known you'd be up here. It never ceases to fascinate me how you always stare out of the window when it rains, Jess," Buzz commented, wandering up a little closer to the cowgirl.

"Down in Oklahoma, we never had such rain," Jessie commented idly, leaning back from the window enough to speak. "Besides on such a quiet day as this, what else is there to do?"

"Wait, go back a second. Oklahoma?" Buzz queried.

"Emily." Jessie said. "I used to live in Oklahoma. Haven't you heard the song?"

Buzz shook his head. "Song?"

"Oh Buzz…" Jessie sighed, defeated. "It's the one…" she paused, and then sang the opening line, "it goes 'I was born in Oklahoma in the rolling Osage hills…'?"

Buzz still looked blank, so she continued.

_"I was born in Oklahoma in the rolling Osage hills, and I rode my pinto pony at full gallop for my thrills; a song of joy and gladness bubbled upwards from my heart, and burst forth merry music: that's how yodelling got its start!"_

"Say, that's a pretty little song I hear from my old ranching days" Woody's voice floated up to them from below. Evidently he had not been as fast asleep as Buzz had guessed.

"You remember it?" Jessie twisted her body around on the sill, her legs dangling over the edge as she threw herself down to the floor. She landed with a gentle thud.

Above her, Buzz lifted the window sash, having not forgotten his original mission, before dropping to the floor to land near the two Western dolls.

"Howdy Buzz." Woody greeted his friend, before turning back to Jessie. "Yeah, I remember that song. It was on one of those vinyls that Al sold to the museum in Japan."

"I hope it wasn't the one we almost broke," Jessie giggled, remembering their antics back in the apartment, and how they had run around and around with Bullseye on the record player when they'd all first met.

Woody was about to reply when a sudden noise from the hallway made them all skitter to their places – Buzz jumped back into the toy chest, followed by Woody. Jessie hightailed it to the top of the bed, and managed to flop back into place just as Bonnie ran into the room.

Her backpack was thrown messily on the floor, her fifth grade books falling out of the not completely closed zipper, and her eyes darted around the room. "Where's mah cowgirl dolly?" She squealed, spotting Jessie lying against the pillow and grabbing her.

"We got to go watch TV! You'll love it," she declared, as she ran from the room again, trailing the redheaded doll with her.


	2. Upstairs, Downstairs

Chapter 2 – Upstairs, Downstairs

When the little girl had abandoned the bedroom, Buzz peeked back out of the toy chest.

"All clear, Ranger," he advised, before leaping from the chest again. He glanced up at the bed where Jessie had been sitting. Even though he'd heard Bonnie's words, he still felt a momentary pang of sadness to see the cover ruffled where she had sat, but no actual sign of her.

"You wanna play Snakes and Ladders, Buzz?" A friendly voice asked, and Buzz looked over to see Slinky pushing the board out from under the bed, the way he used to do at Andy's with the checkers board.

Buzz shrugged. "I guess."

"I'll let you go first," Slinky offered, seeing the space toy a little downcast.

"Sure." Buzz settled down opposite the toy springy dog on the floor.

"I wouldn't have gotten this old game out, but there's so little to do when it's raining and Bonnie cant go outside." Slinky complained.

"Tis positively stifling, but that's what you get for not being classically trained," another voice spoke from the region of Bonnie's dresser. Buzz turned a little to look around, noticing Mr Pricklepants was standing in full view of them. Besides the little hedgehog, Trixie trotted up.

"Aw don't be such a dull toy. Come play video games with me and Rexie," she smiled, to which the hedgehog rolled his eyes.

"Certainly not. I would much rather sit here and discuss the sonnets of Shakespeare…to be…or not to be….." he began.

"Hmm. Well, I'd rather BE playing videogames," Trixie sighed, and wandered off to leave the prickly one to his own devices. The hedgehog harrumphed and gestured wildly, muttering something about gilded honour and maidenly virtue as he turned away.

Buzz looked back to the board game, having seen all he needed to see. Behind him he could hear someone approaching, and was not at all surprised when Woody plopped down next to him, with Dolly in tow.

"Wow, it sure is stiff as a board in here today," Dolly joked, eyeing the game in front of her. Buzz glanced up and narrowed his eyes at her. He'd never really spoken to Dolly, didn't really know much about her, didn't really keep in her company. So he was not aware if this was supposed to be a joke or not.

Across the board from him Slinky rolled the dice, moved his counter, and turned to Dolly. "I remember back in Andy's room, things were always happening," he drawled. "I remember new toys coming in and the little army men having to take the baby monitor out of the room so we could listen in on what presents Andy and Molly got, three times a year at least."

"Yeah,"Woody chuckled, "Oh the day he got Buzz, what a day that was."

"Why's that?" Dolly asked, as Buzz rolled the dice and moved his counter.

"Well….long story short, but as I remember he wasn't exactly the most sane of characters back then." Woody laughed.

"I feel like there's something you're not telling me," Dolly grinned.

"Oh, ol' Buzz here claimed he could fly. He couldn't."

"I could too!" Buzz cut in, distracted entirely now by his friend's words.

"Could not." Woody said firmly.

"Could too."

"Could not."

"Could too."

"Could not."

"Could too."

"Could not."

"Ohh geez, this old argument again," Slinky sighed, giving up all hope of peace.

"As I remember I think I proved you wrong, Sheriff," Buzz declared.

"You fall with style, I thought we agreed." Woody got to his feet and put his hands on his hips.

"Even after we went up into the air, and then I flew us to the car where Andy was?" Buzz started to pick himself up off the floor.

"You didn't fly Buzz! I only said that to boost your ego, you were feeling pretty crummy over not being a real space invader!" Woody argued.

"Well then, in that case…I think its time for a rematch." Buzz was not about to be outdone; he levelled Woody's gaze.

"You're on," Woody glared back.

* * *

Meanwhile, while all the commotion upstairs was happening, Jessie had been sucked into another world entirely. Bonnie had dropped onto the couch, arranged the little cowgirl doll next to her, and had flipped the television onto MTV.

Before her eyes, Jessie saw all sorts of wonderful short 'videos' as Bonnie called them. Mostly of people dancing, all styles of songs. But the one that really caught her was of these five male humans who danced along to some funky beat. The little cowgirl didn't know how she managed to sit still, but Bonnie was on the edge of the seat, doing a funny little dance whilst still perched there.

"That is such an awesome song. I'm gonna go ask Mom if I can get some money for their CD!" Bonnie gasped when the song was over, leaping from the couch and running to the kitchen where her mother was.

When she was gone, Jessie glanced around and gave a little smile. "That's what we can do this afternoon," she thought happily.

* * *

"I don't know why we're doing this again," Mr Potatohead grumbled. "I thought they figured this out like ten years ago."

"Now now sweetheart, let them get it out of their system," Mrs Potatohead cooed, looking up at Buzz on the lampshade. "I, for one, am looking forward to this," she nudged her husband. "After all, some of us weren't around for the original argument after all."

Mr Potatohead said nothing further, but grumbled under his breath some more.

"So whats he going to do, fly around the room?" Buttercup asked, raising his glance to Buzz and then back to Woody.

"He cant fly. He knows he can't," Woody said belligerently. "He's just doing it because he cant bear to be wrong."

"He ain't the only one," Mr Potatohead couldn't stay quiet for longer than a few minutes at a time right now. "You guys were supposed to be getting along, how much longer do we have to stand here?"

"I don't know Potatohead. Until Buzz feels he's made his point." Woody said, then raised his voice to call up to the space toy. "Anytime today would be good Buzz!"

oOoOo

Above them on the lampshade, Buzz closed his eyes. "I'll show him I really DID fly that second time…." He muttered to himself. He took a deep breath, and hit the button to deploy his wings. "To infinity…and beyond!" Then he jumped.

He made sure to bounce off the bed…into the air…..and then he caught hold of one of several little hanging birds attached around the lampshade. He used that to assist him as he zoomed around and around in circles above the watching toys, holding onto the bird as it squawked….then he took another breath and let go….circling without the help of the bird….not noticing the toy birds had all left their attachments and were fluttering about the ceiling, chirping and tweeting between themselves.

It was in mid 'flight' that he realised something. "Woody?" He shouted down.

"Yeah?"

"I'm stuck!" Buzz hollered. He wriggled his foot and ceased to circle the lampshade. A couple of the bird attachments had come to tangle around both his ankle sockets and he was now dangling precariously, held up only by the thin cords.

"Oh brother," Dolly sighed. "Let me go up."

She climbed to the bedpost, hopped down to the toy chest, leapt to the dresser and scaled the side of the wardrobe quickly. Using the old bunting that stretched from one corner of Bonnie's room to the lampshade, she took one of her ribbons from her hair, hooked it over the bunting string and slid along to the middle of the room and the lampshade.

Once at the lampshade, she started working out the tangles in the pieces of cord holding Buzz's feet tied. Unfortunately there was less slack than she realised – and so within a moment or two there was a loud THUMP as Buzz landed, on his back, on the bed.

He looked up at Woody as the sheriff came over to assist him to his feet. "Could too."


	3. Special Talent

Chapter 3 – Special Talent

At that moment the footsteps from in the hall started again, and the toys all dove into position, mostly into the toy chest. Bonnie ran in, clutching a few dollars in one hand and Jessie in the other. She unceremoniously deposited Jessie onto her desk, and then picked up Hamm, removed his plug and shook him until all the coins in him were emptied in front of her. She counted them, gave a shriek of satisfaction at the amount, and then darted from the room again.

On the desk, Jessie sat up and straightened her hat as the other toys peeked out of their cubby holes and hiding spots for the second time that day.

"Good time downstairs, Jess?" Slinky called from his hiding hole under the bed, his head just visible.

"Brilliant. And, fellas, I have the best idea ever for a rainy day!" Jessie exclaimed. Several of the toys looked around at her, including Hamm, as he plugged himself back up behind the privacy of the jewellery box.

"We're gonna have a talent show!"

oOoOo

_"How do I get roped into these things?"_ Buzz wondered to himself as he trawled after Jessie, who had insisted on leaving the desk to go search on the shelves next to Bonnie's desk. The little redhead, unaware of Buzz's thoughts, was rummaging away in a little box of trinkets nearby, pulling out various things, contemplating them for a moment or two each, and then discarding them into a pile on the other side of her.

"What are you planning on doing?" Buzz asked her, settling down onto the floor next to his girlfriend.

"Oh, I don't know yet. I have to be able to learn something, I guess."

"How about trick roping?" Buzz asked, remembering how Jessie had tried to teach him that once.*

"Nope, pardner. Woody's already taken it."

"So you could join in and do a duo type thing," Buzz suggested.

"Nah. I want to be different." Jessie looked across at him with excited eyes. "Finding out what I'm good at."

Buzz shrugged. "Th..there are a few things you're good at."

"Like?" Jessie gave him a coy little smile.

"Well….you're generally a nice person." Buzz offered, blushing.

"That's not really a talent, is it?" Jessie smirked and continued her rummaging. "Anyway, what about you? Going to pull something out of thin air to impress me with?" It was a casual throwaway remark, but it caught Buzz off guard.

"Oh, well..I, I don't…."

"You can be my glamorous assistant if you're too shy to perform in front of the others," Jessie grinned at Buzz, who felt his knees go a little bit weak, the way they always did when she looked at him like that. Even so…..

"No. Absolutely not." He stated firmly. There was no way he was dressing up like a girl. Mrs Nesbitt was firmly in the past.

"Well, if Woody and I are going to be in some talent show, you gots to be in it too."

"So maybe I already have a talent!" Buzz huffed.

"Such as?" Jessie's gaze locked with his.

"Well, back when I was in Andy's room, before you…and Bullseye got there, I used to get up to some stuff."

"Go on." Jessie raised an eyebrow.

"Well….I er….I used to….that is…I started…..well I'm a bit out of practise."

Jessie didn't look impressed. "Spit it out Buzz. What did you practise?"

"Well, Andy had these little beanbags and I used to juggle them…"

"You can juggle?" Jessie's eyes grew wide.

"Yeah…well, sorta." Buzz rubbed the back of his neck and coughed again.

"You gots to show me!" Jessie drawled, jumping to her feet.

"Oh, well, I er, Bonnie doesn't have anything like that."

"I'm sure we can find something. Hey, wait a minute!" Jessie exclaimed. "Chuckles!"

"I don't follow…" Buzz was thoroughly confused.

"Chuckles! He's a clown!"

"Um….alright…" Buzz picked himself up off the floor and dusted himself down.

"He's from the circus! He must know what we can use."

"The circus…oh!" Buzz started, then stopped. "So…?"

"Circus performers, they do tricks and those tricks include juggling! He'll be able to offer you some tips," Jessie continued brightly. "C'mon Buzz," she grabbed the space toy's arm and dragged him across to the toy box next to the bed, "Let's go ask him!"

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*refers to my fiction, **Right In The Middle**.

Part 4 - probably the last part, will be here within the next couple of days, I'm still in the process of writing it and figuring out the finer details. :)


	4. Performance

**Sorry about this chapter taking a while to appear! Got bogged down with real life and some other fiction matter whirling around in my head. Will probably close this out with a fifth chapter sometime shortly!**

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Chapter 4 - Performance

"I'm so nervous," Jessie whispered to Buzz as they stood off to the side of all the activity going on.

Dolly was in charge of putting together the makeshift staging area, using books, ropes, a length of fabric, and several discarded lollipop sticks from the wastepaper basket. Although she had the help of Buttercup, Bullseye, a very grouchy looking Mr Potatohead, and the supervisory skills of Hamm - who, true to form, always looked on and gave advice rather than lending a hoof to help - it wasn't getting done any faster.

Woody was off someplace practising his lasso for the show, which left Buzz and Jessie a few minutes alone to chatter quietly.

"I'm sure we'll be fine." Buzz reassured her gently, laying his hand on her forearm.

"But the other toys don't seem to get stage fright like I do," Jessie murmured back.

"I'm sure the Barbie's that are due to be singing will be a little nervous at least." Buzz tightened his grip on her arm a little bit, causing Jessie to look up.

"Whose bright idea was this talent show?" She said softly, causing Buzz to grin.

"Much as I hate to say it…yours," he grinned, dropping a kiss onto her cheek. "And nerves, they're normal. Hey…I'm a little bit nervous right now."

"You've got stage fright too?" Jessie asked, letting her breath rush out of her body with relief.

"Not for getting up there and performing." Buzz said shyly, reaching to push a strand of red hair behind Jessie's left ear. Their gaze met again and Jessie blushed, realising what he meant, forgetting for a split second what was going on around them that day.

* * *

The Barbie's were onstage singing their number as Woody fidgeted with the rope he held loosely coiled, tucking it over his empty holster on his hip. He was all done with his practising and now it was time for the main event.

Buzz and Jessie and himself were the last three onstage. The only other act had been Buttercup and Bullseye, a most unlikely pair, but Woody's steed had been unwilling to be left out, and so they had devised a short dance routine set to music which had been well received.

As the final strains of the Barbie doll music finished, the curtains were pulled closed gently by Dolly, who was standing on the other side of the stage. The assembled audience made up of all the other toys clapped politely. Jessie was at Woody's shoulder suddenly, with Buzz right behind her.

"Remember what we rehearsed?" She grinned broadly, and Woody nodded. He had agreed to be their segway onto the stage, nothing complex. His act was still his own.

Hamm was the compere for the night, and clinked his way onstage.

"Thank you everyone for that applause….eh, not bad right? Okay well next we have something – well I guess this is a type of headline act for this evening….is that right?"

He glanced off at Dolly, who shrugged.

"Okay, well," Hamm continued, "I don't think they've got a fancy name or anything, so yeah…here's Woody…" He clinked offstage, amid smatters of applause to the bad introduction.

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Remind me to stick one of Mrs Anderson's wax apples in that hog's mouth when I next see him, would you?"

Woody grinned and stepped up onto the platform as the curtains were opened again. Music started, a country tune, as he began to swing his lasso around his head, a simple trick to open with. Then out to both sides, alternating the swings and size of the lasso as the toys watched in fascination. They all knew Woody would know how to lasso, it was in his makeup, but to watch him doing the tricks was something else.

Swinging the lasso even larger, Woody worked it back over his head, swinging it down over his body so he was inside of the lasso as it grew bigger around his feet. Then he started to turn as he lassoed around and around, the rope staying off the floor. A little gasp or two emitted as he completed the 360 degree turn and then stepped out of the rope to take his bow.

The toys applauded for a short time until Woody held up his hands. "Who wants to see me lasso something for real?" A cheer went up and Woody nodded, "Okay, let's see what I can get!"

He threw the lasso off stage where it couldn't be seen, holding onto one end, and suddenly the audience saw the rope go taut. "Oooh, I got something!" Woody shouted excitedly, and pulled on the rope, tugging onstage a barrel that was similar to the one that they used to keep the monkeys in.

"Whatcha think it could be?" Woody shouted, and the audience murmured and then cheered again as Jessie popped her head out of the crate.

"Yeehaw!" she shouted, swinging herself over the top of the barrel and landing neatly on the floor. She reached into the barrel and pulled out a set of four hoops, which were really two sets of Bonnie's mothers gold earrings that she had borrowed for a time.

She passed three of the four hoops to Woody, who held onto them as Jessie put one over her head and slipped it down over her slim waist. She started to hula it as the others looked on, and then when she had it steady, she held out her arms for Woody to place one ring on each arm. She started to hula those two at the same time, so there were three rings spinning in unison as the audience gasped and watched her perform. A bright smile broke over Jessie's face as she realised she was doing it perfectly. She stopped finally, and dropped the rings, running over to give Woody a hug.

"Mighty fine hoopla that was, Jessie," Woody grinned, "But want to see if I can lasso something else now?"

Jessie grinned knowingly and nodded, as Woody threw the lasso offstage for the second time. The rope went taut again, as Woody shouted, "What did I get this time?" and the audience waited. Suddenly from offstage came a shout:

"Woody! YOU GOT ME!"

The audience laughed as Buzz was pulled onstage with force, and Jessie giggled and grabbed onto him to stop him falling.

"Well howdy, Mister Space Commander," she called, "What's a mighty fine toy like you got to show the folks?"

"I'll show you," Buzz stated, finding his balance again, and turning to the audience. "Okay everyone…" he shouted, "If you can't handle how awesome this is going to be, cover your eyes!"

"Argh! My arms won't reach my eyes!" Rex yelled, "Can someone cover them for me?"

"I seem to recall you always having this problem," Slinky was heard saying over the commotion.

Up on the stage, Buzz prepared himself. He first caught two of the [ear]rings that Jessie threw to him, then as the third one was tossed to him he started to throw them up in the air, one after the other….then Jessie stepped it up a notch by throwing the fourth one to him as well – pretty soon each ring was being caught and tossed back into the air as Buzz concentrated….then he caught each ring in turn, pivoted on the spot, and held them out to the cowgirl.

Another round of applause was reserved for Buzz as Woody ran on with four small clubs, which were really bowling pins from the miniature set Bonnie owned on her dresser.

Jessie ran off with the rings, reappearing with a small plank of wood and a tin can, which she set down on the floor, the plank levelled over the can. Woody helped Buzz hop up and get his balance again. As everyone looked on, Woody and Jessie ran back and stood off to the side of the stage.

Buzz took a breath, steadied himself, and concentrated again as he started to juggle the clubs whilst balancing on the plank under him.

The audience went crazy, clapping and cheering him like mad! They loved this!

Buzz finished juggling, caught the last pin as it toppled down to him, took a step back, and….

_THUD_.

_He'd fallen over._

The audience gasped, and Jessie started across to help him, but before she could move too far, Buzz was on his feet. He tossed the juggling pins to one side, and struck a pose with his hands on his hips in the middle of the stage.

"Ta dah….!" He shouted. "I know that looks like an accident, but it's actually part of the act!" His eyes darted around nervously.

There was a short silence, then everyone laughed, cheered and went on applauding as Jessie, Buzz and Woody took their bows, before the curtain closed on them.


	5. Summarise

Chapter 5 - Summarise

It was evening, and the "talent show" had finished a couple of hours ago. Bonnie had come back from the local mall with a selection of new CDs, which she had been playing on her stereo before she left to go downstairs for dinner.

Most of the toys had turned the music back on quietly after Bonnie left and were dancing around on the desk in a silly fashion. Buzz, however, had resumed his forgotten game of Snakes and Ladders with Slinky, and Jessie was sitting next to him with Woody and Dolly. Slinky was winning, but it was Buzz's turn.

"I need a three," Buzz said into his cupped hands that held the dice. He threw them down and got….a four and a six.

"Drat," Buzz muttered as he moved his counter – and landed on a snake. Jessie's mirthful giggles sounded out as Buzz was forced to move his counter down the snake, and Slinky grinned triumphantly, reaching over to get the dice again.

"Seven, and this game is mine, spacepants," he stated, tossing the dice, and getting a five and a two. Buzz groaned and sat back.

"So let's summarise what we've figured out today, Buzz." Woody said, with a smirk crossing his features. Buzz threw the cowboy doll a look, but Woody continued regardless.

"We've ascertained that you can juggle, and almost always keep your balance."

Buzz shrugged, despite Jessie's giggles again. "Sure."

"But we have also ascertained you aren't very good at snakes and ladders…."

"But that's not my fault," Buzz countered snidely.

"….and we also worked out you can't fly…"

"I can too." Buzz's head snapped up.

"Can not." Woody said staunchly.

"Can too."

"Can not."

"Can too."

"Can not."

"Can too."

"Can not."

Dolly, Jessie and Slinky exchanged a glance and rolled their eyes in unison as the argument continued. This was one disagreement a talent show was never going to settle!

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Please review and favourite if you enjoyed this fiction :)**


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